Letter: A More Pro-Active Policy on Littering Makes Financial and Environmental Sense

Published on: 12 Feb, 2025
Updated on: 12 Feb, 2025

From Roland Dunster

In response to: Budget Challenges Continue at GBC Especially in the Longer Term

Being that it costs almost £1 billion a year to clean litter nationally, I’m sure GBC (with the aid of an authority support provider if need be) could save a considerable sum annually by proactively and overtly enforcing laws and fines to combat the socially-corrosive behaviour and crime of dropping litter.

Treating the cause of a problem and not just its symptoms is always preferable.

GBC’s opposite strategy (a vicious cycle) of consequence-free littering and limited cleaning is demonstrably failing. Surely a more pro-active approach would make financial and environmental sense more than ever?

The simple acts of stepping outside, opening one’s eyes and walking, cycling or driving, in any direction, exposes the shameful levels of litter (and graffiti) that blight every corner and environment of the borough.